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reading religious books, individually or in groups, can become common in Muslim homes, mosques and at their other gatherings, the spread of religious knowledge to all classes and sections of the community will be greatly facilitated indeed.

This small book has been written solely to fulfill this purpose. All the necessary information regarding Islam and the teachings of the sacred Prophet (Peace be upon him), which a Muslim ought to possess has been furnished in it in a simple language. Let us all learn these truths and precepts ourselves and impart them to others as well and make it a mission of our lives to popularize them in the world. A Tradition of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) says:

“If a person engages himself in the pursuit of Islamic religious knowledge with the object of reviving the faith through it (i.e., by instructing it to others and bringing them round to act on it) and he dies in the process, his place will be so very close to the Prophets in the Hereafter that there will be only a difference of one degree between them and him.”

May Allah grant us the great good fortune of learning the precepts of Islam ourselves and teaching them to others, and of acting on them and endeavoring sincerely to persuade others to do the same.

The Holy Kalma

La ila ha illala Muhammadar rasoolullah

THERE IS NO GOD (NO ONE IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP AND OBEDIENCE) BUT ALLAH (SUBHAANAHU WATA’AALAA), AND MUHAMMAD (SALLALLAHU ALAIHE WASALLAM) IS HIS APOSTLE.

Brothers, - this confession is the gateway to Islam, the arch-stone of the faith. By affirming it and reciting it with sincerity and conviction even, a lifelong heathen or a polytheist can become a Muslim, a man of faith, and earn his title to salvation. The condition, however, is that he should have accepted conscientiously and with full understanding the declaration of the Oneness of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and the Apostleship of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) contained in it. Thus, anyone who repeats the confession mechanically, without understanding it and without knowing what the concepts of Divine Unity and Apostleship and Prophecy mean, will not gain recognition in the sight of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) as a Muslim. It is, therefore, necessary to study its meaning and implications carefully.

The confession consists of two parts. The first part contains that no one except the Almighty is worthy of worship and obedience. Worship and obedience should be offered to Him alone because He and no one else is our Lord and Creator, Nourisher and Sustainer and the Dispenser of Life and Death. Sickness and health, poverty and riches, in short, all manner of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and evil, gain or loss, lies solely in His control. Apart from Him, whatever living things exist on the earth, or in the heavens, be they men or angles, are all His creatures and slaves. He is partnered by no one, no one has a share in His Divinity nor can anyone amend or alter His Will, or interfere with His affairs. Hence, He and He alone is worthy of